Galop D’Hermès is the much-anticipated latest launch from Hermès. There are two things about it which excite me. Firstly, it is perfume i.e not eau de parfum or eau de toilette, but actual perfume. Secondly, it was made by Christine Nagel, who is nothing less than legendary.

I will begin by saying that if leather is not your thing, then you may wish to sit this one out. Galop D’Hermès is all about the leather. However, it’s not just leather, because that’s been done. Galop D’Hermès is more about a power struggle between a feminine side and a masculine side. As it turns out, neither wins and both are victorious.

In the opening there is leather straight away. Top notes are listed as being quince and saffron. Quince might be an unusual choice, and indeed, it only makes a brief cameo, but somehow it stops the dry, spicy saffron getting too sober. The middle phase heads straight into leather and Turkish rose territory and pretty much stays put. This is what gives Galop it’s USP. The rose and leather are so seamlessly blended that you cannot decide whether the saddle is made of roses or whether the rose has leather petals.

The leather, it must be said, is terrific. It’s unmistakably horsey, as the name would suggest, but it has a softness that comes from the unfinished inside of a belt: the rougher, unpolished side. This isn’t Sloaney Hermes, this is real, battered leather and being of perfume concentration, this is what you leave in your wake and on your pillow the next day.

If you like the sound of this, then you will love Galop D’Hermès.

Stockists

You can buy Galop D’Hermès from John Lewis. Brace yourself. It’s not cheap. Alternatively, you can do as I did, and buy a Precious Perfumes Discovery Box from The Perfume Society which has a generous perfume strength sample.

Bvlgari Rose Goldea was launched in 2016 as a flanker to Bvlgari Goldea, which I haven’t tried so can’t compare. The nose behind Rose Goldea is Alberto Morillas, who also created almost all of the Bvlgari range for women, and to whom I owe gratitude for creating Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Moi for By Kilian, which I plan to review soon.

I puzzled over Rose Goldea since I couldn’t figure out why this rose scent smells so distinctive. I spotted the peony, notable for adding feminine prettiness to many florals, but couldn’t put my finger on why this rose smells both sharper and lighter than other rose fragrances. The answer is pomegranate. Now, whilst red fruits can often add a Haribo sweetness that repels, rather than attracts me, pomegranate has enough bite and bitterness to put the petals in sharp relief and showcase their unique properties. The pretty peony builds it up, and the pomegranate leaves a strangely pleasing bitterness in its wake.

Bvlgari Rose Goldea is a mufti faceted rose that has none of the Turkish Delight notes, nor the jammy sweetness of other rose perfumes. Jasmine adds a headiness and there is s tiny bit of vanilla in the base, but the frankinscsence and sandalwood sober it up and keep it in check.

All in all, this is an interesting scent that brings out the botanical sharpness of a rose, rather than going down the romantic route. I would go as far as to say that, despite the impossibly pretty bottle, this could make an excellent unisex choice. It showcases strength and delicacy at the same time and is most certainly worth looking into should you come across it on your beauty counter trawling travels. I liked it very much and I am pretty much marinated in it. Gorgeous.